The P Bass. The Fender Precision. The ultimate “working man’s” bass. This simple and timeless design stands up today as being the ultimate “do it all” instrument for a large majority of bass guitarists. This vintage original “66 P is a seriously eye catching instrument. Resplendent in original, unaltered candy apple red with all the patina and mojo that many vintage enthusiasts love. As we always find, it is often the best instruments that have the most signs of use, and of course, if you have a bass like this beauty, why would you play anything else?
In 1966 Fender were still using stores of high quality, light, resonant alder bodies, rigid maple necks and Brazilian rosewood fretboards. It was only some years after later that we started to see heavier instruments with thick poly coatings and some interesting new designs.
Strung up with flat wounds, this bass has a powerful and focused sound with excellent warmth and definition. If the pickup is in the right spot, you only need one. Its in this simplicity that much of the appeal of the P bass lies. The neck has a comfortable medium C profile and 7”1/4 fretboard radius. With a little relief in the neck the action sits at 3mm on the 12th fret. There is plenty of life left in the original frets and the rosewood fretboard is in good shape with virtually no finger indentations. At 4.1kg this bass is nice and light with pleasing acoustic resonance.
As you can tell by the photos, there is much authentic player wear to the body of this instrument. Having said that, there is very little damage. There are no substantial dings or any cracks in the body or neck. The bridge was swapped many years ago for a badass bass II. This required no modification to the body, as it uses the original screw holes. The pickguard has been replaced - possibly to conceal the finger rest screw holes. The output jack has also been replaced. The original bridge cover and pickup cover are long gone, as is often the case with basses that have seen regular use.
Other than that, this instrument presents as fully original. One great sounding vintage P bass pickup with a resistance of 9.73k ohms, and fully functional original tone and volume pots with 1966 date stamps. Comes with original Fender hard shell case.
This is an exceptional bass that has appeal for collectors and professional musicians alike. And yes, it sounds as good as it looks!
Brand: Fender Model: Precision Bass Country: USA Year: 1966 Serial: 12XXXX Case: OHSC Body Colour: Candy Apple Red Neck Colour: Natural Finish Type: Nitro Body Material: Alder Neck Material: Maple Fretboard Material: Brazilian Rosewood Scale Length: 34” Frets: 20 Neck Radius: 7” 1/4 Action (Low E): 3mm Neck Profile: Med C Nut Width: 43.1mm 12th Fret Width: 56.8mm 1st Fret Depth: 19.8mm 12th Fret Depth: 25.1mm Pickups: Original Resistance: 9.73k Electronics: Original Knobs: Original Pick Guard: Repro Hardware: Chrome Weight: 4.1kg Mods, Repairs: Replaced output jack, replaced bridge, replaced pickguard
